The colours and emblem for the Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) were designed in 1916 when Charlie Carter became the Principal. The school opened only a few years earlier in 1910 and he remained as Principal until 1926.
The design was a joint effort with the students.
The motto “CIRCUMSPICE”, which is Latin for “look around you”, was suggested by Mr Carter who believed that foresters should always be observant.
The plant in the design is acacia mollissima (black wattle) the bark of which was used extensively as a source of tannin used in the leather industry at the time.
The boomerang beneath the crown was incorporated as another Australian element.
Lapel Pin date unknown.
The graduates of the School formed the Victorian Old Forestry Students Association and produced an annual magazine Sylvanite, from 1920.
The Association aimed to preserve the school spirit, personal contacts and close friendships. The magazine was a means of not only maintaining contact between the foresters after graduation but also serving as a technical journal.
But the Association and the magazine seem to have fizzled out by 1930s, which helps to date this medallion.
In 1934, the first issue of The Victorian Forester was published. This was replaced in 1953 with the Victorian State Foresters Association Newsletter which continued until demise of the Forests Commission in the mid-1980s. Both publications aimed share information about technical, social and other matters to all forestry staff.
The Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA) was formed in 1979 and continues to this day with over 150 members.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14VJnOBYKlPuhxyIE3_vhykL-sBo0W-iY/view
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 